Chapter Text
Poseidon felt utterly humiliated as he glared at a poor innocent book. In front of him, was one of the most famous dating advice for novices that gods and humans alike would turn to in times of utter despair when they failed at getting their love interest’s attention. All gods were talking about it these days, claiming that it helped them to successfully secure a date with the women they had their eyes on for ages. Apparently, the book did miracles. Or so Hermes said when Zeus asked about it during their weekly ‘family’ dinner. His brother was immediately interested. Of course Zeus would be interested in these kinds of books. Poseidon had merely rolled his eyes and took to eating in silence. His brother was ridiculous. A god shouldn’t need such frivolous unnecessary things to court the women they love.
And yet, the proud god of the sea found himself looking at the very same book that he scoffed at during the ‘family’ dinner a week prior, in a dark secluded corner of the main library. Poseidon would be damned if a god saw him eying that book in public. His carefully woven image and hard earned status would never be able to come back from Helheim. He would be the laughing stock of the gods and the victim of sneers as they would murmur in faux secrecy, “not so perfect now is he?” Or “I knew it! He can't satisfy his wife!”
And that was not something Poseidon was looking forward to. He could satisfy his wife. He knew that fact very much. But, who said that one couldn't become an even better husband? He was not one to shy away from perfection. And so, with that thought which contradicts greatly with his own set of values, he set off to his private study, the book securely nuzzled in his arms in such a way one could never see the title. He would rather swim in frozen waters than answer nosy questions from useless bottom-feeders.
If you want to know what brought this on, it's really just his wife. One day, as he was returning from yet another tenuous meeting with the others on the fate of humanity (Poseidon had half a mind to stop attending those too), he couldn't help but hear his wife speaking with Aphrodite. The latter did not attend the meeting this time, opting to instead catch up with the queen of the oceans on the latest gossip the goddess of love came across.
"He was so perfect! He brought flowers and gifts to his beloved hoping she would say yes! I heard that he was crying as he kneeled too! And then, when she was in danger, he swooped in like a knight in shining armour. So romantic! He truly is the perfect husband!"
Aphrodite was squealing in delight as she told the story of a knight (Poseidon could really care less about his profession) to his wife. To be honest, Poseidon could actually care less about the gossip. Humans did not matter to him. Whether they marry or not was not his problem. However, his wife's comment grabbed his attention.
"She is so lucky! To have such a man swoon at her feet like that and ask her to marry him in such a romantic way!"
"How did Poseidon propose?"
"I can't say. I know you. As soon as I tell you, everyone in Olympus will know this!"
"Just a hint!"
"Hmm...Well, there is nothing to say really. It wasn't like that human. Poseidon would never do that."
(Y/N) sighed in what Poseidon considered as a disappointment. There is a slight silence on the part of his wife. Poseidon shamelessly strained his ears to hear any additional comment from her. His proposal was romantic, no? The god remembered his proposal very clearly.
It had been three years since Poseidon took an interest in (Y/N). At first, he didn’t think their relationship would draw on for this long. It was unexpected to even him how important she became to him. To him, she was a mere affair like so many before her. There were no feelings involved, she was exactly what he wanted in a goddess, they had a good time, she didn’t go and spread any unnecessary gossip that would impact on his image. The perfect one night arrangement for him. And that was all that it was supposed to be. However, unlike the many before her, he surprised himself when he kept on seeking her presence.
At first, he seldom sought her after their third night. While it was unusual for him to summon the same girl twice, even less thrice, four times in one month was too much. But he never wanted someone so much as her before. He never needed anyone like her before. He was fine in his underwater palace. He did not need any company. But then, the fourth meeting led to the many others before he could stop it. He became used to her presence in his rooms, in his kitchens despite having servants who could take care of cooking, he let her fill his plain lonely palace with light and happiness.
Six months after their meeting, Poseidon found himself asking why. Why did he let this affair escalate so much? Why did he not throw her out as soon as she started sleeping the night away in his rooms? Why did he grab her wrist and drag her back in bed when she was about to leave three months into their arrangement? Was he that weak? Did it only take this long for the great god of the sea to fall for a mere goddess? How could he fall for someone so quickly?
But three years later, as he watched her chest rise and fall after a night where they did nothing but read, he found himself content. For once in his life, he was perfectly satisfied with how things were. He didn’t feel the need to push her away. Nevermind how she managed to weasel her way into his mind without setting off his alarms. He didn’t need the specifics. So, under the light of the moon, he woke her up by softly shaking her, something he would have never done in the past. She was groggy at being woken up so suddenly, eyes squinting to look at the god amidst her still fuzzy mind.
For an instant, (Y/N) feared her time might be up. Had he finally become tired of her presence? Did she overstep her boundaries and send him running? Would he kick her out with her things at this instant? Was the fairytale drawing to an end? Did the prince realise that she wasn’t fit to be his princess? (Y/N) braced herself as Poseidon opened his mouth.
“Marry me.”
The girl didn’t even know if this was a question or an order. She didn’t know if she wanted to laugh or cry. He didn’t want to get rid of her! While the proposal was nothing like she had imagined and dreamed of when she was younger, in fact, how their whole relationship even started was nothing like she imagined and wanted, it made her so happy that she could squeal in delight and kiss him all over his face! But she miraculously managed to reign herself in.
“Yes.”
While their relationship was nothing like she had wished for as a young girl dreaming of romance after reading romantic novels, she loved him nonetheless. He was an ideal god but not an ideal husband. She struggled with his emotions or most appropriately, his lack of emotions, many times. He was so guarded that it was hard to differentiate whenever he was bored or happy. His mind was a mystery to her even after their 50th anniversary. But as they entered through their 100th-anniversary hand in hand, she was finally able to understand him a bit better. In return for her tremendous efforts at trying to figure him out, he opened his emotions slightly more. He smiled a bit more when it was just the two of them. Somehow, they made their relationship work against all the odds that were stacked against them.
Poseidon really did believe in all honesty that his proposal was romantic. The lighting from the moon, the sound of the waves crashing into the shore, it was all romantic!
"If you want to, I can give you some advice to spice up your sex life."
"Aphrodite!"
The goddess of love laughed as (Y/N) spluttered rejections through coughs and sounds of embarrassment. Poseidon huffed. There was nothing wrong with their married life, much less their sex life. Wasn't she satisfied with what he provided? The god of the sea rolled his eyes. Ridiculous, he thought as he marched in the opposite direction, completely forgetting of his promise to pick his wife up after the meeting. He was a good husband and an even more perfect god! He didn’t need any advice from anyone!
This matter shouldn't be bothering the ruler of the oceans so much. It really shouldn't. He was born perfect. He had nothing to be ashamed of or feel insecure about. He did not need to improve anything in himself. He was the perfection incarnate, the personification of ideals that all gods should strive to achieve! Therefore, the conversation should really not have bothered him as much as it did. But it did. Aphrodite’s words replayed in his mind accompanied by the jeering of the crowds that liked to gossip behind his back. While he knew all the rumours about him were founded on nothing but sea form, he couldn’t help but overanalyze everything (Y/N) did after they returned from the meeting in Valhalla.
And it certainly didn't help that after he forgot to fetch (Y/N) after the meeting as he promised to, she was pouting at him during dinner. When she would usually babble her day away to Poseidon, he was met with an unusual silence that he should love but instead, he found it unsettling. Coupled with his own brewing insecurities that he would never admit to, her silence did nothing to soothe his mind.
So, it was with a confident stride that he walked to the library to get the book that could help improve his romantic gaps. If a god was to see him, they would believe he wanted to borrow a book anyway. Everyone knew the god had a thirst for knowledge. It would not be bizarre to see the ruler of the sea leave with a book in hand. His reputation was safe. Now, to figure out how to win his wife all over again (completely ignoring the fact that he never even courted his wife properly, to begin with! Hades can testify! Author didn’t make anything up!).